Everything You Need to Know Almost Growing & Caring for Lucky Bamboo Plants at Home

If you're looking for an easy to care for establish that as well brings good luck, add some lucky bamboo to your life. Fifty-fifty though this found is perfect for beginner found caretakers, it also offers an opportunity for advanced growers to weave and shape its stalks. While caring for this constitute is simple, the diverseness of stalk shapes and styles keep lucky bamboo interesting. Here we'll accept you through everything you need to know about growing and caring for lucky bamboo plants at home plus learn virtually their history, origins, and symbolism in the world today.

Caring for Lucky Bamboo

Lucky bamboo plants are hardy and easy to care for. Place your institute in a vase with an inch of h2o or in a container filled with a well-draining potting mix. Provide an air temperature between 65-90ºF, moderate humidity, and bright yet indirect light.

About Lucky Bamboo Plants

About Lucky Bamboo Plants

Origins, History, and Etymology

While lucky bamboo plants are native to Fundamental Africa, it has been grown and cherished in China for a long fourth dimension. Some Chinese people have been using this establish indoors for over iv,000 years.

Real bamboo is difficult to grow indoors, simply lucky bamboo makes a skillful imposter.

While lucky bamboo has been popular in Prc and Taiwan for a long time, it merely gained popularity in the United States in the past 20 years.

The species proper noun sanderiana refers to the High german-built-in gardener Henry Frederick Conrad Sander.

Genus, Species, and Plant Family

While these plants resemble bamboo, they're really not related to this well-known constitute. They are closely related to the corn plant and snake constitute.

  • Plant family: Asparagaceae (asparagus family)
  • Genus: Dracaena
  • Species: sanderiana

Lucky Bamboo Botanical Characteristics

Lucky Bamboo Botanical Characteristics

In their native habitat, Dracaena sanderiana grows equally a shrub that can reach up to five feet alpine. It has upright stems that support elongated leaves.

Yet, horticultural professionals transform this institute into the lucky bamboo houseplant you likely know. This form of the plant has slender stalks stems with a few leaves on top. The number and organization of the stalks vary between plants.

The stalks may be a few inches or few feet tall. Additionally, they may be direct, twisted, or curved.

Native Range

Although you may think it'south native to China, lucky bamboo plants actually hail from Central Africa. You'll find them in Cameroon and other nearby countries.

Nigh Popular Lucky Bamboo Houseplant Varieties

While at that place are only one species of lucky bamboo, you'll find many unlike forms of this plant. Some popular arrangements include braided stems, twisted stems, and stems shaped similar a eye.

You can too find plants that incorporate different numbers of stems of various heights.

Toxicity and Pet Friendliness

Lucky bamboo is toxic to both dogs and cats, so keep it out of your pet'southward reach. While it'south non safe for pets, it's non-toxic to humans.

Lucky Bamboo Plants Pregnant & Symbolism

Lucky Bamboo Plants Meaning & Symbolism

Lucky bamboo is 1 of the about popular Feng Shui plants. Practitioners believe these plants bestow good luck and prosperity, although the exact symbolism varies depending on the number of stalks:

  • One stem: delivery and simplicity
  • Two stalks: love or double happiness
  • Three stalks: happiness, wealth, and a long life for anybody
  • Four stalks: bad luck, death
  • Five stalks: peace and balance
  • Six stalks: blessings
  • 7 stalks: good health and luck

The placement of a lucky bamboo institute also impacts its meaning. When someone places a plant on the Eastern edge of a house, they hope to attract practiced health. When they place in a Southeast corner, they promise to attract wealth.

How to Grow Lucky Bamboo Plants at Home

How to Grow Lucky Bamboo Plants at Home

What to Do Before Planting a Lucky Bamboo

You can grow lucky bamboo successfully in potting soil or water. Before you lot bring a constitute home, determine which method you lot'll employ.

If you'll be using water but, you'll want to look for a jar or vase without any holes. All the same, if you want to plant into soil, y'all should choose a container with drainage holes.

Lucky Bamboo Growth Expectations

While lucky bamboo can grow tall in its native environment, it typically stays smaller indoors. You lot can expect your stalks to grow betwixt six and 24 inches each year.

How to Establish a Lucky Bamboo

Every bit we mentioned above, you lot tin plant lucky bamboo in soil or in water. While in that location are proponents of each method, plants typically live longer when they are grown in soil.

When you buy your lucky bamboo plant, it will likely exist sitting in water. Remove the plant from its original container and identify it into your new container.

If yous are placing it in a container with water, add enough water then ane inch of water is covering the base of the stalks. If you wish, you can add rocks to the bottom of the container.

If you are planting your lucky bamboo in soil, identify the stalks in a pot with drainage holes. Next, fill the planter with potting soil so one to three inches of the stalks are covered.

What'southward the Best Soil Mix for Lucky Bamboo Plants?

The Best Soil Mix for house plants

If y'all're growing your lucky bamboo in soil, it's important to choose the proper soil mix. Lucky bamboo requires a well-draining soil mix that can retain simply the right corporeality of wet. Look for a neutral to slightly acidic pH.

A peat-based potting mix designed for houseplants is a good choice. If you want to make your ain mix, you tin combine equal parts peat moss and perlite.

Lucky Bamboo Light Preferences

Lucky bamboo tin can withstand a variety of light conditions. The main thing to remember is to keep it out of direct sunlight.

The ideal lighting for lucky bamboo is brilliant, indirect light. This can be constitute in the heart of a bright room or near a south-facing window covered with sheer defunction.

Lucky bamboo plants can handle darker conditions, but they won't thrive as they would in bright lite.

Lucky Bamboo Temperature and Humidity Preferences

Lucky bamboo plants can handle a broad range of temperatures, as long equally it doesn't get likewise cold. To continue the plant happy, keep the temperature between 65-90ºF.

You should likewise avoid whatever drafts or dramatic swings in temperature. This means keeping the plant away from any hot or cold drafts.

Lucky bamboo plants do fine in average humidity. They tin also handle dry out and humid atmospheric condition.

How to Care for Lucky Bamboo Plants :

How to Care for Lucky Bamboo Plants

When and How to H2o Lucky Bamboo Plants:

Similar other Dracaena plants, lucky bamboo is sensitive to chlorine, fluorine, and other chemicals in tap h2o. Therefore, it's best to use distilled h2o or rainwater.

If you are growing your lucky bamboo in water, yous should alter the h2o once a week. This will help forestall the development of affliction.

If your found is growing in soil, you lot desire the soil to remain moist only non saturated. When the peak inch of the soil is dry, water once again.

The amount of time betwixt waterings will depend on the temperature, humidity, and time of yr.

You volition need to water more frequently when the air is hot and dry. Additionally, you will need to water more ofttimes in the summer than in the winter.

Feeding and Fertilizing Lucky Bamboo Plants

Lucky bamboo plants require very little fertilizer. You should only fertilize your plants in one case a calendar month spring through fall.

Choose a liquid houseplant fertilizer and dilute it to one-fifth of the recommended strength.

Lucky bamboo plants are extremely sensitive to excess fertilizer, so it'south important that yous properly dilute your fertilizer. Yellow leaves are more than often a sign of too much fertilizer rather than not plenty.

Pruning Lucky Bamboo Plants:

As your lucky bamboo grows, you can clip it to keep its shape. Pruning involves removing the leafy shoots rather than trimming the stalks.

Employ a abrupt and clean pair of pruning sheats to remove the shoots. Cut the shoots as close to the stalk as possible.

Late fall or early winter is the best fourth dimension to trim lucky bamboo, but it is okay to prune during other times of the year.

How to Propagate a Lucky Bamboo Plant:

How to Propagate a Lucky Bamboo Plant

If you wish to propagate a new lucky bamboo plant at dwelling house, you should use shoot cuttings.

Each cutting should have at to the lowest degree one leaf node. Place the end of the cut in distilled water and so only the base of the cutting is covered.

Change the water every calendar week and watch for roots. Later on roots have formed, you tin can remove your cutting and identify information technology in soil or water.

Every bit the institute grows, you lot can strip away leaves to obtain a bamboo-looking stem.

When and How to Repot a Lucky Bamboo Constitute:

Lucky bamboo plants rarely required repotting. However, when they become rootbound, you should repot them.

When y'all repot, obtain a pot or vase that is one inch in bore wider than the electric current container.

How to Twist Lucky Bamboo Stalks

How to Twist Lucky Bamboo Stalks

With all the twisted lucky bamboo available today, you may call back achieving this look is an easy process. Withal, information technology requires practice and patience.

Twisted stalks are grown using the institute's natural desire to grow towards the light. By rotating either the plant or the lite source, your plant will develop spiral stalks.

The easiest way to accomplish twisted stalks at home is by using a three-sided box. This ensures the found only receives light from a single point. Once your plant is in its box, you'll demand to carefully monitor and rotate information technology over time.

Braiding lucky bamboo stalks relies on a similar process. However, it is more difficult than twisting stalks.

If you want to complect three stalks, you will demand to start with 3 unlike stalks. Plough the stalk so one side faces the light, and rotate the other side faces the calorie-free. This will cause the stalk to grow back and forth.

Subsequently yous accept three woven stalks, information technology's time to braid the stalks together.

Other designs like hearts as well rely on turning a stalk every bit it grows toward the calorie-free.

Mutual Lucky Bamboo Constitute Problems and How to Treat Them

Common Lucky Bamboo Plant Problems and How to Treat Them

Lucky bamboo plants are some of the hardiest houseplants out there. Fortunately, they don't experience many issues. All the same, continue an center out for the following.

Yellow Leaves

If you observe the leaves turning yellow on your Lucky Bamboo found in that location could be several causes.

1 of the virtually common causes is water with also much chlorine or chloride. If you find yellowing leaves, effort watering your plant with rainwater or distilled h2o.

Another cause of yellow leaves is overfertilizing. When yous apply fertilizer, it's important that you first dilute the fertilizer. Use water to mix the fertilizer to one-fifth of the recommended strength.

Lucky Bamboo Found FAQs

Co-ordinate to Feng Shui, lucky bamboo does bring good luck. Even so, the answer might depend on who you ask.

If you're hoping to give someone a found to wish them well, lucky bamboo is a cracking choice.

Lucky bamboo tin can grow well in both soil and h2o. Plenty of people utilise both methods with success. However, some people believe that growing in soil will produce healthier and longer-living plants.

No, lucky bamboo needs light to survive. However, yous tin can utilise artificial calorie-free if you don't have natural sunlight. Lucky bamboo plants don't need direct sunlight, only they practice require indirect low-cal.

If you continue your lucky bamboo constitute in water, it should live for a few years. If yous institute it in soil, information technology can live for over five years.

Place your lucky bamboo institute in a location where it receives bright yet indirect sunlight. The interior of a bright room or a place a few feet away from a south-facing window are keen locations. The location of your lucky bamboo plant can also influence Feng Shui. You should avoid placing this establish in a bedchamber since the strong energy can forestall relaxation. If you identify lucky bamboo in a bathroom, information technology will help residue out whatsoever negative free energy.